Labels abandoning earlier contemporary music

[CRCulver]

While plenty of labels are still recording challenging modernist repertoire -- which is amazing, when you think of the economics -- I've found myself rather frustrated by how some labels have ceased offering new recordings of contemporary composers they once supported, in spite of a steady stream of releases by younger composers.

For example, BIS used to champion the orchestral music of Sofia Gubaidulina more than anyone else, but it's been half a decade since the last Gubaidulina disc and it's not like there haven't been plenty of performances by cheap, BIS-friendly ensembles since then. Chandos left its Schnittke cycle hanging, and Ondine will probably never record Paavo Heininen or Kimmo Hakola again.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

It has to do with the present crisis in the world, and also in the recording industry. Many labels are on the brink of collapse.

[springrite]

Well, I am glad I already own some good ones.

[CRCulver]

It has to do with the present crisis in the world, and also in the recording industry. Many labels are on the brink of collapse.

It can't be ascribed solely to the economics of the situation. Gubaidulina is a pretty established figure and a new recording of her music from BIS would almost certainly sell better than some of the obscure, younger composers that label has taken up. Similarly, Chandos has chosen to focus on highly obscure English repertoire than has less of a draw than Schnittke.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

It can't be ascribed solely to the economics of the situation. Gubaidulina is a pretty established figure and a new recording of her music from BIS would almost certainly sell better than some of the obscure, younger composers that label has taken up. Similarly, Chandos has chosen to focus on highly obscure English repertoire than has less of a draw than Schnittke.

Well let me put it another way, I assure you it is as I said. I have my personal contacts at BIS, and in general in the recording industry. Before long some more big labels will collapse or merge. The production of Chandos and BIS has gone down, one look in their financial situation tells me I am right, that they abandoned projects because of insufficient financial basis.Even established names do not generate enough money any more to warrant a long time investment.

[Gurn Blanston]

Well let me put it another way, I assure you it is as I said. I have my personal contacts at BIS, and in general in the recording industry. Before long some more big labels will collapse or merge. The production of Chandos and BIS has gone down, one look in their financial situation tells me I am right, that they abandoned projects because of insufficient financial basis.Even established names do not generate enough money any more to warrant a long time investment.

I also have a good contact at BIS, and despite that we were discussing Haydn rather than Gubaidulina, the information I got from her matched yours precisely; BIS is in a bind, pure and simple. I hope they can get past it, they are one of my favorite labels for many reasons.

[ibanezmonster]

They've figured out Mirror Image is the only CD buyer left in the world and Mirror Image would rather buy obscure composers than established ones... 

Well, MI and snyprrr... I guess two people isn't enough...

[Grazioso]

We're lucky to have any classical releases, given how few are sold:

"The dirty secret of the Billboard classical charts is that album sales figures are so low, the charts are almost meaningless. Sales of 200 or 300 units are enough to land an album in the top 10."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012904193.html

Compare:

Classical       8,957       12,140       -26% (sales in thousands for 2010, 2009, and change)
Rock            103,709       124,164       -16%

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110106006565/en/Nielsen-Company-Billboard%E2%80%99s-2010-Music-Industry-Report

"Where we used to sell 40,000 copies of an orchestral recording, we now sell 10,000 or 15,000. At that rate, we can't make money any more. So we make money from distribution and licensing" --Klaus Heymann of Naxos [For a point of reference, top pop albums sell well over a million units per year.]

http://www.naxos.com/news/default.asp?op=802&displaymenu=Naxos_News&type=2

[Mirror Image]

They've figured out Mirror Image is the only CD buyer left in the world and Mirror Image would rather buy obscure composers than established ones... 

Zing!

[DavidW]

Grazioso that's not only sad, but when you consider the top billboard albums are crossover that means that the number of serious titles selling well is pretty much zero.

Those numbers are smaller than I ever thought.

[Mirror Image]

Well, I am glad I already own some good ones.

Me too.

[springrite]

Me too.

I have a few friends here in China and we share our collections often. So that makes a much larger pool. But I seem to be everybody's source for contemporary music. Still, the total collection is large enough now to satisfy our needs for a long time.

I don't see the point of complaining. If it does not sell, it does not sell. If you want it and it is premium price, pay it or leave it. And if you can form a small circle of friends who have similar interests, share!

[Bulldog]

I wonder how much streaming services like NML, as well as others, have cut into sales of Classical music? 

When I pay my $25/month to NML, I feel like I'm buying music.

[Mirror Image]

I have a few friends here in China and we share our collections often. So that makes a much larger pool. But I seem to be everybody's source for contemporary music. Still, the total collection is large enough now to satisfy our needs for a long time.

I don't see the point of complaining. If it does not sell, it does not sell. If you want it and it is premium price, pay it or leave it. And if you can form a small circle of friends who have similar interests, share!

This is true, but where I live nobody knows who Koechlin, Villa-Lobos, Lindberg, or even Stravinsky is. If people don't want to educate themselves and get outside their comfort zones, I'm certainly not going to help them. I know, I know that seems selfish, but nobody told me to listen to this composer or that composer when I started out listening to classical. I learned everything about this music by simply doing the research myself and trying to figure out which composers I would probably gravitate towards. People have asked me before what do I listen to and I told them. Sometimes I would have someone ask what composers I listened to and they will say "Oh, I never heard of any those," but the conversation is over at this point because they didn't ask any further questions about these composers, which, to me, means they were just making conversation. Someone who's at all curious about music and craves it on a daily basis will want to seek out and learn as much as they can because they're passionate about it. I don't listen to classical music because I think I've found some hidden key that somebody else hasn't found, I listen for enjoyment and because the music means something to me. Somebody asked me one time "How can you listen to that garbage?" I simply replied "Very attentively." People have to make up their own minds about music and have to pursue it themselves because they feel this music in their heart.

Okay, rant over...

[springrite]

Well, the situation is about the same in most places. In a city with a population of about 22 million, I see just about the exact same people at every concert I go to. That is probably close to the total population of classical music listeners here. I know maybe two dozen or more of these people, and five or six have become close friends. Many GMG'ers have become friends as well. I have met a few and plan to meet more when I do have an opportunity to travel. In fact, in a few more years when Kimi is grown and I am even better positioned financially, I may even plan some of my travel around meeting fellow music-lovers. It doesn't bother me that we are the few, nor that we will be an even smaller "cult" as time goes by. It does not diminish my enjoyment of music. If anything, it presents an opportunity to enrich my life further in multiple ways.

I need to know more about Koechlin, beyond the two CDs I have and beyond his infatuation with a hollywood actress...

[Mirror Image]

Well, the situation is about the same in most places. In a city with a population of about 22 million, I see just about the exact same people at every concert I go to. That is probably close to the total population of classical music listeners here. I know maybe two dozen or more of these people, and five or six have become close friends. Many GMG'ers have become friends as well. I have met a few and plan to meet more when I do have an opportunity to travel. In fact, in a few more years when Kimi is grown and I am even better positioned financially, I may even plan some of my travel around meeting fellow music-lovers. It doesn't bother me that we are the few, nor that we will be an even smaller "cult" as time goes by. It does not diminish my enjoyment of music. If anything, it presents an opportunity to enrich my life further in multiple ways.

I need to know more about Koechlin, beyond the two CDs I have and beyond his infatuation with a hollywood actress...

The closest GMGer to me is Greg (the one with Japanese manga image for an avatar). After Greg, is I guess Dave (SonicMan) and then Karl. I'd like to meet these guys at some point because I love meeting like-minded people. It doesn't bother me about our possible cult status either. I've always wanted to be apart of a cult.

Anyway, if you go to the Koechlin thread in the composer section, you'll find some good information there. Koechlin, like all composers, had their quirks, but I think his music has been inspiring for me and those with patience will be rewarded.

[springrite]

I may adjust my October US trip routes now that a member of my group here is also planning a business trip to the US. If our times coincide, I may make changes and go to a couple of other cities with him to help him out a bit on business and as a guide of sort. If so, I will may get to meet a few more GMG'ers in other cities. Stay tuned!

[Mirror Image]

I may adjust my October US trip routes now that a member of my group here is also planning a business trip to the US. If our times coincide, I may make changes and go to a couple of other cities with him to help him out a bit on business and as a guide of sort. If so, I will may get to meet a few more GMG'ers in other cities. Stay tuned!

I live in a cave and I'm pretty hard to find.

[ibanezmonster]

I may adjust my October US trip routes now that a member of my group here is also planning a business trip to the US. If our times coincide, I may make changes and go to a couple of other cities with him to help him out a bit on business and as a guide of sort. If so, I will may get to meet a few more GMG'ers in other cities. Stay tuned!

If you ever have to go to Central Florida, let me know!

[Opus106]

And if you can form a small circle of friends who have similar interests, share!

Define 'small' and 'share'.